Day 6 of the festival will feature a guided listening presentation and performance with Ameer Armaly

Exploration of Oud Playing in the Twentieth Century: This program will present, through recordings, the evolution of oud playing throughout the twentieth century in the Arab World. Initially relegated exclusively to supporting a vocalist with simple responses and short improvisations, the oud has evolved into an instrument for expression of virtuosity, compositional creativity, and cultural exchange. The presentation will be followed by a performance.

Born in South Carolina, Ameer Armaly was exposed to the oud and Arabic music in general from an early age through his uncle who played the oud. He went on to study under Simon and Najib Shaheen. Ameer performs as an instrumentalist with a variety of artists and leads an Arabic music ensemble which performs regularly around the New York area, cultivating local talent and reviving the great Arabic instrumental and vocal music of the twentieth century.

Barzakh Café 147 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213 Friday May 29, 2026 6-8 PM